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Spiritual Growth: the Spiritual Challenge of Modern Times

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:23:00 +0000

Spiritual Growth: the Spiritual Challenge of Modern Times

To grow spiritually in a world defined by power, money, and influence is a Herculean task. Modern conveniences such as electronic equipments, gadgets, and tools as well as entertainment through television, magazines, and the web have predisposed us to confine our attention mostly to physical needs and wants. As a result, our concepts of self-worth and self-meaning are muddled. How can we strike a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our lives?

To grow spiritually is to look inward.

Introspection goes beyond recalling the things that happened in a day, week, or month. You need to look closely and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations. Periodically examining your experiences, the decisions you make, the relationships you have, and the things you engage in provide useful insights on your life goals, on the good traits you must sustain and the bad traits you have to discard. Moreover, it gives you clues on how to act, react, and conduct yourself in the midst of any situation. Like any skill, introspection can be learned; all it takes is the courage and willingness to seek the truths that lie within you. Here are some pointers when you introspect: be objective, be forgiving of yourself, and focus on your areas for improvement.

To grow spiritually is to develop your potentials.

Religion and science have differing views on matters of the human spirit. Religion views people as spiritual beings temporarily living on Earth, while science views the spirit as just one dimension of an individual. Mastery of the self is a recurring theme in both Christian (Western) and Islamic (Eastern) teachings. The needs of the body are recognized but placed under the needs of the spirit. Beliefs, values, morality, rules, experiences, and good works provide the blueprint to ensure the growth of the spiritual being. In Psychology, realizing one’s full potential is to self-actualize. Maslow identified several human needs: physiological, security, belongingness, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization, and self-transcendence. James earlier categorized these needs into three: material, emotional, and spiritual. When you have satisfied the basic physiological and emotional needs, spiritual or existential needs come next. Achieving each need leads to the total development of the individual. Perhaps the difference between these two religions and psychology is the end of self-development: Christianity and Islam see that self-development is a means toward serving God, while psychology view that self-development is an end by itself.

To grow spiritually is to search for meaning.

Religions that believe in the existence of God such as Christianism, Judaism, and Islam suppose that the purpose of the human life is to serve the Creator of all things. Several theories in psychology propose that we ultimately give meaning to our lives. Whether we believe that life’s meaning is pre-determined or self-directed, to grow in spirit is to realize that we do not merely exist. We do not know the meaning of our lives at birth; but we gain knowledge and wisdom from our interactions with people and from our actions and reactions to the situations we are in. As we discover this meaning, there are certain beliefs and values that we reject and affirm. Our lives have purpose. This purpose puts all our physical, emotional, and intellectual potentials into use; sustains us during trying times; and gives us something to look forward to---a goal to achieve, a destination to reach. A person without purpose or meaning is like a drifting ship at sea.

To grow spiritually is to recognize interconnections.

Religions stress the concept of our relatedness to all creation, live and inanimate. Thus we call other people “brothers and sisters” even if there are no direct blood relations. Moreover, deity-centered religions such as Christianity and Islam speak of the relationship between humans and a higher being. On the other hand, science expounds on our link to other living things through the evolution theory. This relatedness is clearly seen in the concept of ecology, the interaction between living and non-living things. In psychology, connectedness is a characteristic of self-transcendence, the highest human need according to Maslow. Recognizing your connection to all things makes you more humble and respectful of people, animals, plants, and things in nature. It makes you appreciate everything around you. It moves you to go beyond your comfort zone and reach out to other people, and become stewards of all other things around you.

Growth is a process thus to grow in spirit is a day-to-day encounter. We win some, we lose some, but the important thing is that we learn, and from this knowledge, further spiritual growth is made possible.

Giving Your All

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Giving Your All

The act of giving your very best to the needy can likewise cultivate the best emotional satisfaction in your heart. Whatever form of help you extend, be it service or something of value, you will undoubtedly receive something better in return.

Is there anything better than a simple “thank you” that is meant with sincerity? Is there anything better than an appreciation that makes you feel needed and important? Is there anything better than to see smiles on other people’s faces for having made them feel equally important and cared for?

If your physical resources are limited, you can put your talent or creativity to work. Your urge to help those in need should inspire you to find ways in accumulating resources to actualize your intention. You can come up with ideas to generate more money through fund raising programs. You may also give more of your time doing volunteer service.

In the process of giving your all, your cooperation, attention, and entire being need not be strained. You may get physically exhausted; but emotionally, you will be charged with a heart full of compliments, making you feel all-important. You will feel revitalized and invigorated. You will become more enthusiastic. All these occur because you love what you’re doing.

When you set your mind to work for a good cause, you are actually tapping and activating power that promotes health in every corner of your physical, psychological, and emotional being. Your emotions will run high in a positive manner. You will feel sentimentally contented with what you are doing. You will feel as though you’re the highest paid executive in the business; not because you’re being paid with money, but because you’re being paid with your own sense of fulfillment.

Oh yes………….when you give your all, the best will bounce back to you.

Enjoy Your Life: Change Your Point of View

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Enjoy Your Life: Change Your Point of View

"Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud, and one sees the stars."- Frederick Langbridge, A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts

If you’ve placed second in a writing contest, will you jump for joy and push for better results the next time or will you be discouraged and find an excuse not to join again?

In life, you are always filled with choices. You may opt to have a pessimist’s view and live a self-defeated life or you may decide to take the optimist’s route and take a challenging and fulfilling life.

So why nurture an optimist’s point of view? And why now?

Well, optimism has been linked to positive mood and good morale; to academic, athletic, military, occupational and political success; to popularity; to good health and even to long life and freedom from trauma.

On the other hand, the rates of depression and pessimism have never been higher. It affects middle-aged adults the same way it hits younger people. The mean age of onset has gone from 30 to 15. It is no longer a middle-aged housewife’s disorder but also a teen-ager’s disorder’ as well.

Here’s how optimists are in action and researches that back up why it really pays to be an optimist:

Optimists expect the best

The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events, which will last a long time and undermine everything they do, are their own fault.

The truth is optimists are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world. What differs is the way they explain their misfortune---it’s the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this one case.

Optimists tend to focus on and plan for the 'problem' at hand. They use 'positive reinterpretation.' In other words, they most likely reinterpret a negative experience in a way that helps them learn and grow. Such people are unfazed by bad situation, they perceive it is a challenge and try harder.

They won’t say “things will never get better,” “If I failed once, it will happen again” and “If I experience misfortune in one part of my life, then it will happen in my whole life.”

Positive expectancies of optimists also predict better reactions during transitions to new environments, sudden tragedies and unlikely turn of events. If they fall, they will stand up. They see opportunities instead of obstacles.

People respond positively to optimists

Optimists are proactive and less dependent on others for their happiness. They find no need to control or manipulate people. They usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those they are with.

Optimism seems a socially desirable trait in all communities. Those who share optimism are generally accepted while those who spread gloom, panic and hysteria are treated unfavorably.

In life, these people often win elections; get voted most congenial and sought for advice.

When the going gets tough, optimists get tougher

Optimists typically maintain higher levels of subjective well-being during times of stress than do people who are less optimistic. In contrast, pessimists are likely to react to stressful events by denying that they exist or by avoiding dealing with problems. Pessimists are more likely to quit trying when difficulties arise.

They persevere. They just don’t give up easily, they are also known for their patience. Inching their way a step closer to that goal or elusive dream.

Optimists are healthier and live longer

Medical research has justified that simple pleasures and a positive outlook can cause a measurable increase in the body's ability to fight disease.

Optimists’ health is unusually good. They age well, much freer than most people from the usual physical ills of middle age. And they get to outlive those prone to negative thoughts.

So why not be an optimist today? And think positively towards a more fulfilled life.

Why not look forward to success in all your endeavors? Why not be resilient? Like everybody else you are bound to hit lows sometimes but don’t just stay there. Carry yourself out of the mud and improve your chances of getting back on the right track. And why not inspire others to remove their dark-colored glasses and see life in the bright side?

Focus on your mental and emotional side to gain self improvement

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Focus on your mental and emotional side to gain self improvement

Not everyone believes this but the emotional and mental aspects of a person, when combined, leads to better self improvement.

Emotions love to dominate our actions and reactions, even though we do not want it to happen sometimes. The society often see emotions as a sign of weakness, so people are used to putting them aside and focusing on the rational aspects more and more.

No matter how strict and logical you may be, you will always feel. One way or another, someone or something will get through you.

Positive emotions are a lifelong goal for many of us concerned about emotional health and self improvement. What is more important; the amount of money you made during your life or the times you laughed out of sheer joy?

People tend to put their positive emotions behind their negative feelings. This is one of the biggest problems that people come across during their lives.

There is no clear way to ignore a negative experience and try to replace it with a positive one. Life just does not work that way.

For example, when you were a child, if your goldfish dies, you would be heartbroken. Your parents will probably buy you another goldfish but the sorrow is still there.

Things get even more complex when you become an adult. A fight with your spouse the night before will affect your entire day. You will go to work angry, tired, and your mind will wander. On the way home from work you will not notice the sun shining and you would not be tempted to stop at a roadside stand to pick up some fresh fruits and vegetables.

All this because that one negative thought has contaminated the way you perceive the reality around you.

In this moment you will realize finding a safe place to relax your mind will do wonders for your emotional and mental improvement.

That place is relatively easy to find. It can be an actual place or an imaginary location. The best idea is to totally lose yourself in it.

Let us say you have a problem on your mind and it just would not go away. Go bowling. Do not know how? Just give it a shot.

Get caught up in the game. Your mind will drift away from the negative thoughts that dominated your last hours or days and start processing a whole new kind of information.

A safe haven can take many forms. It can be a song, a movie, even a person or animal. The main thing is allow yourself to get completely involved with this new activity.

You might still get flashes of the problem every now and then. Ignore it and get even more absorbed in what you are doing.

When the bowling game, the song, or the movie ends you will abruptly return to reality. You will probably want to retreat back to the safe place. Do not do it.

The safe place exists only as a helping hand, not as a solution to your life's problems, may it be a small or big. It serves only as an escape route.

You will return from your safe zone with an increased energy level. You will feel better about yourself and gain more confidence. You will see that any issue can be resolved.

This is how a small escape from a harsh reality can increase your emotional and mental health. Try to do this often and you are on your way to better self improvement.

Impossible is Just a Word

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:41:00 +0000

Impossible is Just a Word

Everyone, at some point of his or her life, has dreamed of being somebody special, somebody big. Who hasn't fantasized about being the one who hits the game-winning homer? Who hasn't dreamed of being the homecoming queen? And how many times have we dreamed of being rich, or successful, or happy with our relationships?

Often, we dream big dreams and have great aspirations. Unfortunately, our dreams remain just that – dreams. And our aspirations easily collect dust in our attic.

This is a sad turn of events in our life. Instead of experiencing exciting adventures in self actualization, we get caught up in the humdrum of living from day-to-day just barely existing.

But you know what? Life could be so much better, if only we learned to aim higher.

The most common problem to setting goals is the word impossible. Most people get hung up thinking I can't do this. It's too hard. It's too impossible. No one can do this.

However, if everyone thought that, there would be no inventions, no innovations, and no breakthroughs in human accomplishment.

Remember that scientists were baffled when they took a look at the humble bumblebee. Theoretically, they said, it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. Unfortunately for the bumble, bee no one has told it so. So fly it does.

On the other hand, some people suffer from dreaming totally outrageous dreams and not acting on them. The result? Broken dreams, and tattered aspirations.

If you limit yourself with self-doubt, and self-limiting assumptions, you will never be able to break past what you deem impossible. If you reach too far out into the sky without working towards your goal, you will find yourself clinging on to the impossible dream.

Try this exercise. Take a piece of paper and write down some goals in your life. Under one header, list down things ‘you know you can do’. Under another header, write the things ‘you might be able to do.’ And under one more, list the things that that are ‘impossible for you to do.’

Now look at all the headers strive every day to accomplish the goals that are under things ‘you know you can do’. Check them when you are able to accomplish them. As you slowly are able to check all of your goals under that heading, try accomplishing the goals under the other header-the one that reads ‘you might be able to do.’

As of the items you wrote under things I could do are accomplished, you can move the goals that are under things that are ‘impossible for you to do’ to the list of things ‘you might be able to do.’

As you iterate through this process, you will find out that the goals you thought were impossible become easier to accomplish. And the impossible begin to seem possible after all.

You see, the technique here is not to limit your imagination. It is to aim high, and start working towards that goal little by little. However, it also is unwise to set a goal that is truly unrealistic.

Those who just dream towards a goal without working hard end up disappointed and disillusioned.

On the other hand, if you told someone a hundred years ago that it was possible for man to be on the moon, they would laugh at you. If you had told them that you could send mail from here to the other side of the world in a few seconds, they would say you were out of your mind. But, through sheer desire and perseverance, these impossible dreams are now realities.

Thomas Edison once said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Nothing could be truer. For one to accomplish his or her dreams, there has to be had work and discipline. But take note that that 1% has to be a think-big dream, and not some easily accomplished one.

Ask any gym rat and he or she will tell you that there can be no gains unless you are put out of your comfort zone. Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain”? That is as true as it can be.

So dream on, friend! Don’t get caught up with your perceived limitations. Think big and work hard to attain those dreams. As you step up the ladder of progress, you will just about find out that the impossible has just become a little bit more possible.

How To Determine What You Want In Life

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:54:00 +0000

How To Determine What You Want In Life

What do you really want in life?

Most people don’t discover what they want in life until it’s time to die – and that’s a shame.

Most people spend the best years of their lives watching television or doing things they dislike. An author described humanity by saying, “Most people die at twenty and are buried at eighty.” Are you one of the living zombies?

What do you really want in life?
Some people struggle in answering such question. When asked what they want or what their goals in life are, many are unsure. They dillydally in their decision, hardly giving any thought about what they want in life. People without definite goals are letting time pass them by. Are you one of these people?

If you are undecided about what you want out of life, do not worry. There are many ways of discovering your purpose in life.

To discover what you want in life, try looking deep into your heart. Oftentimes, people are ruled by logic. People live by what they think they should be or by what others like them to be. The discovery process is the perfect time to listen to your heart. What your heart desires comes from the whispers of your authentic self. Your authentic self is the real you.

Listen to your heart to be able to listen to your authentic self. What your heart says usually feels right. What your heart desires is what you usually love to do and this represents your passion. Anything done with passion is like play where the task is accomplished without hesitation. You pour out your very best and feel no pressure or resistance.

You will totally enjoy doing things that are your passion. Setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles will make it more challenging, but should not deter you from pursuing your goals. Naturally, there may be barriers that may prevent you from reaching your goal, but your heart’s desire will find ways to overcome these barriers so that you may ultimately get what you want in life. Remember this: the universe supports people who are pursuing their passion and those who are pursuing their destiny.

However, this does not mean that you don’t use your head. People are born with both the mind and heart. Your duty is to live your best life and be in harmony with your mind and heart. The poet Rumi wisely said, “Live completely in the head and you cannot feel the breath and rhythm of life. Live completely in the heart and you may find yourself acting like a love-struck fool with poor judgment and discipline. It’s all a fine balance - the head and heart must forge a lifetime partnership if one wants to live a beautiful life.”

Listen to your instinct. Part of human nature is the mysterious and spontaneous reaction on things. Often times, these are called instincts. Your authentic self communicates with you and guides you via instincts. Instincts are those gentle nudges that urge you to act and follow a certain path. Your role then is to listen attentively.

Often times, we listen to what others say and allow them to run our lives. Parents often do this to their children. “We come from a family of doctors, so my son must also be a doctor.” How often do we hear this from parents who have good intentions for their children? Parents unconsciously block the true expression of their child’s real self and calling. Friends and critics will discourage you and point out the impossibility of your dream. Before heeding their advice, evaluate the accomplishments of the critics. Did they achieve theirs dreams? Do they dream big at all?

Remember, it is your destiny that is in line, not theirs. It doesn’t mean, though, that you will not listen to what other people say. Hear them out just the same. But the final decision should be yours.

There is only thing to remember: Every person, to live truly and greatly, must define how he wants to live and what his brightest life will look like. Listen to your instincts and follow your heart’s desire. You will never go wrong.

The Road to Intuition

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:26:00 +0000

The Road to Intuition

Have you had that experience when all of a sudden you just had this huge hunch that something is about to happen, and to your surprise, that intuition was eventually translated to reality?

When you feel strongly about something without logical basis to it, that's called intuition. It comes in three impressions: clairvoyance or "the third eye", sensing clearly and feeling through listening.

Clairvoyance is when your eye goes beyond what it can see. This is when you know what is happening somewhere.

Sensing clearly is basically what we refer to as "hunch" or "gut feel." This is the time when you are overwhelmed with a feeling and you can't explain it and all you can say is "I just know."

On the other hand, feeling through listening or clairaudience is being able to "listen" between the lines. Intuition also happens at times when a certain sound, whatever it is - be it a car's honk or a bird's twitting - ushers in an intense feeling.

They say only a number of people are gifted with intuition. Astrologers even insist that people born under the Scorpio or Pisces signs are naturally intuitive it almost borders on E.S.P. But studies have been sprouting left and right that proclaim that anyone can develop intuition.

Why the need to develop intuition, you ask? Why not let your emotional and psychological state as it is? First and foremost, intuition promotes good communication. It makes you more sensitive to the people around you; it often keeps you from hurting those you love because you are intuitive enough to understand them. Intuition also makes you far more creative than ever. Intuition means releasing more creative juices for any means of expression. Lastly, intuition has a healing power. This healing power is not in the physical sense, but in delving deep into your soul to eradicate some negative energy buried in it.

With that being said, are you ready to develop your intuition? Here are some ways to unlock this gift:

1. Hypnosis

Oh yes, get yourself hypnotized. Hypnosis is not limited to watching a pendulum move back and forth. Perform self-hypnosis or you can avail of hypnotic programs that can strengthen your intuition.

2. Meditation

Meditating means finding peace in yourself. If your mind and heart are cluttered with too many baggage and hurt, you wouldn't be able to quiet down that part of you that could eventually initiate intuition. There are so many ways to meditate: take a yoga class, or just simply practice some breathing that could bring you straight to Zen.

3. Think positive!

A worry-free, fear-free state could do so much to improve your intuitive ability. By staying positive, you attract good energy that would be able to easily recognize imminent feelings and events.

4. Just let go.

What does this mean? If you are on the brink of making a huge decision, let go of all the inhibitions and head to a quiet place where you could find out where the letting go has brought you. Sometimes you just have to listen to the voice within you, and that voice wouldn't come out unless you let go.

5. Never expect.

After letting go of the inhibitions and all those things that stop you from thinking and feeling clearly, never expect for an answer right away. Never expect that the "hunch" would fall on your lap immediately. Give it a little time then you'd just get surprised that -- wham! -- now you have your answer.

6. Believe in your first impressions.

When you see someone for the first time and think that he is a bit too arrogant for your taste, chances are that impression actually holds true. Most of the time, first impressions are brought by intuition.

7. Stay happy!

See? All you need to be intuitive is to stay happy! Happiness attracts immense power and such power includes intuition. In tapping your intuition, your motivation must be happiness and contentment. Given that premise, intuition will fall to you easily.

Intuition is helpful, because sometimes it leads you to something that cannot be achieved otherwise. A lot of lives have been saved by intuition alone. Decisions are easier done if armed by this gift. Develop intuition now and reap benefits you have never imagined.

How to Deal with People to Get What You Want

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:17:00 +0000

How to Deal with People to Get What You Want

People communicate with each other in various ways for a lot of reasons. And one of these reasons is when you need something from someone. For people in business, this can either be in the form of products or services. You may want to sell a product while the other party must find your product useful for his intention. You may want to offer your services while the other party must be satisfied with the services you render according to his needs. In short, the way to get somebody or anybody to do what you want is to make them want to do it.

To get something you want through intimidation or violence is to invite trouble. Yes, it’s possible but not advisable to use forceful methods because the results are undesirable and at times disastrous. Imagine if you force an employee to take a leave of absence for having apparently violated a company rule. The relationship between management and the employee, or perhaps between management and union (if the employee is a member of it), is likely to be severed.

To get what you want, give people what they want. Just what do people want? Physical health, family ties, financial security, spiritual growth, peace of mind, a successful career, and fame are the basic needs of people. There is one important yet intangible thing everybody wants and that is appreciation. Being appreciated and complimented makes a person feel important. When you feel important, you feel needed and wanted, and this gives you a whole lot of reason for existence.

Just how do you give somebody the feeling of importance? Say it, act it; just give it freely, honestly, and wholeheartedly. As literal as it is, saying how appreciative you are for a favor received, makes the other person feel important. You may not be able to describe exactly in words the feeling of importance when you’re in the shoes of the recipient. But definitely, what you can not describe is real and priceless.

Pre-empt importance. Give some sort of sign to the other person that what you want from him, will make him feel important. Let’s take charity for example. A recipient wants or needs contributions from the giver. It can either be material or service contribution, or both. Even before the act itself, the giver somehow expects appreciation from the recipient and this will give him a boost of importance. Appreciation may not necessarily be in words. A smile and/or a pat would suffice and they can come from both giver and recipient. The giver shows his feeling of being appreciated. The recipient shows his feeling of appreciation for the gift. Somehow magic or chemistry takes place. It’s a feeling both parties would enjoy happening many times over.

Are you aware that the feeling of importance, brought about by compliments and appreciation, is good for your health, mentally and physically? Whether you are the giver or recipient, it is good for both. There are medical findings that substantiate health effects brought about by positive emotions like compliments and appreciation. Frequent doses of the feeling of importance activate the brain cells and various harmonies in the body that promote good health. To put it plainly, the feeling of importance is the antioxidant of life.

Can you think of a better way to nourish other people’s feelings than to show your concern and appreciation? Well, you can show something better than appreciation, and that is - a truckload of appreciation.

You know what you and I and everybody else should be doing right now? We should go out there and show our feeling of appreciation to everything and everybody. Let’s go!

Dealing With Sorrow – Depression Managemen

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:35:00 +0000

Dealing With Sorrow – Depression Management

While the term depression has been commonly used that people tend not to take it seriously anymore, it is a very serious condition that could impair one’s life. Depression is very difficult. It can debilitate one’s normal functions, making even the most mundane tasks such as getting up from bed or eating breakfast seemingly difficult. It is sad to think that a lot of depressed individuals are not treated because of the high costs of therapy. However, coping with depression is still possible without professional help if one knows depression management. Here are a few things that can help people deal with depression, it is important to note however, that professional therapy is still very invaluable with serious depression. These steps are just suggestions for alleviating the condition.

Staying active is one way to take one’s mind off depression. Primarily, activities help distract people from whatever it is that is causing their depression and it also helps channel unspent energies that build up when one is depressed. Keeping active also releases endorphins – natural mood boosters that somehow cheer people up.

It is also important to take a rest. Being depressed can be very exhausting, so it is essential to regain strength and energy if one is to deal with depression. Relaxation techniques can help one be more attuned to the self and be more at peace. When resting, stressors should be kept away from the bedroom so that ample rest can be obtained.

Depressed people should also express their emotions. Depression usually results from suppressed emotions. People who are grieving can be prone to depression if they keep their emotion to themselves. A lot of people avoid crying because they think it might be a sign of weakness. However, it is important to cry because it releases one’s emotions. When expressing feelings, it is important to avoid catharsis – venting up one’s anger by doing something violent like boxing, smashing things, and the like. Catharsis does not release one’s emotion, especially anger. Rather, it makes a person practice violence as an expression of emotion, and thus can be very dangerous.

Hang around with friends and loved ones. Depressed individuals need support very much. Other people can distract one from stressors. People can also remind a depressed individual that there can be more to life, and it is worth living even if it is simply because of the company of wonderful people.

Lastly, it is important to believe in oneself. A lot of people get depressed because they put themselves down. It is important to satisfy oneself and gain a sense of self-worth. It is good to do something that would make one happy. Prioritizing one’s self can help one to believe that one’s own life is important and can be enjoyed. Being kind to oneself is one of the most important steps to get away from a depressive state.

Depression management is possible and entails taking charge of one’s self. When dealing with depression however, it is important not to rush. Sadness does not disappear overnight; it takes time to get back on one’s feet. Little by little, one can get out of depression and have a normal life once more.

10 questions you should ask to yourself: a preparation to self-improvement

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 08:33:00 +0000

10 questions you should ask to yourself: a preparation to self-improvement

Be all you can be, but it's not always in the Army. I often see myself as somewhat contented with my life the way things are, but of course it's hard to think of anything else when where are real issues to be discussed.

Still I aspire for something deeper and more meaningful.

So we're all pelted with problems. Honestly it shouldn't even bother or even hinder us to becoming all we ought to be. Aspirations as kids should continue to live within us, even though it would be short-lived or as long as we could hold on to the dream. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks… or can they?

1. What do I really want?
The question of the ages. So many things you want to do with your life and so little time to even go about during the day.

Find something that you are good at can help realize that small step towards improvement. Diligence is the key to know that it is worth it.

2. Should I really change?
Today's generation has taken another level of redefining 'self', or at least that's what the kids are saying. Having an army of teenage nieces and nephews has taught me that there are far worse things that they could have had than acne or maybe even promiscuity. So how does that fit into your lifestyle?

If history has taught us one thing, it's the life that we have gone through. Try to see if partying Seventies style wouldn't appeal to the younger generation, but dancing is part of partying. Watch them applaud after showing them how to really dance than break their bones in break-dancing.

3. What's the bright side in all of this?
With so much is happening around us there seem to be no room for even considering that light at the end of the tunnel. We can still see it as something positive without undergoing so much scrutiny. And if it's a train at the end of the tunnel, take it for a ride and see what makes the world go round!

4. Am I comfortable with what I'm doing?
There's always the easy way and the right way when it comes to deciding what goes with which shoes, or purse, shirt and whatnot. It doesn't take a genius to see yourself as someone unique, or else we'll all be equally the same in everything we do. Variety brings in very interesting and exciting questions to be experimented.

5. Have I done enough for myself?
Have you, or is there something more you want to do? Discontentment in every aspect can be dangerous in large doses, but in small amounts you'll be able to see and do stuff you could never imagine doing.

6. Am I happy at where I am today?
It's an unfair question so let it be an answer! You love being a good and loving mom or dad to your kids, then take it up a notch! Your kids will love you forever. The same goes with everyday life!

7. Am I appealing to the opposite sex?
So maybe I don't have an answer to that, but that doesn't mean I can't try it, though. Whether you shape-up, change the way you wear your clothes or hair, or even your attitude towards people, you should always remember it will always be for your own benefit.

8. How much could I have?
I suppose in this case there is no such things on having things too much or too little, but it's more on how badly you really need it. I'd like to have lots of money, no denying that, but the question is that how much are you willing to work for it?

9. What motivates me?
What motivates you? It's an answer you have to find out for yourself. There are so many things that can make everyone happy, but to choose one of the may be the hardest part. It's not like you can't have one serving of your favorite food in a buffet and that's it. Just try it piece by piece.

10. What Really Makes You Tick?
So? What really makes you tick? You can be just about anything you always wanted to be, but to realize that attaining something that may seem very difficult is already giving up before you even start that journey. Always remember, that self-improvement is not just about the physical or philosophical change you have to undergo, but it's something that you really want.

Faith can move mountains

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:08:00 +0000

Faith can move mountains
We can define faith as it is the voice of a power within in touch with omnipotence. Faith is "The light of truth and wisdom". Faith is the torch that leads the way when the other faculties cannot see.
There is divine tone of voice within us which only speaks when every other voice is hushed. The power of the greatest benefactors of the race came largely from the motivation of faith in their mission. Think of what the faith of inventor has done! It has ever been men with strong faith that have moved the world. They have been the great pioneers of improvement.
The miracles of society have been performed by men and women who had unwavering confidence in their power to accomplish the tasks they undertook.
What you dream you can do, think you can do or believe you can do, you will do. A person who has invisible confidence in himself or herself and firm faith in God will accomplish anything. Many people blight their success at the very beginning by thinking they are going to fail. Their mental attitude is not positive to the success they are after. A wavering mind attracts failure. The habit of dwelling on difficulties and magnifying them weakens our determination. The man who sees only obstacles will not achieve anything.
When you attempt to do anything, never allow your mind to dwell on the possibilities of failure. That will cripple your initiative. One of the worst things that can ever happen to a person is to get into his head that he was born unlucky and that the fates are against him. There are no fates, outside of our own mentality. We are our own fates. We control our own destiny.
There is no fate or destiny which outs one person down or another up. The world belongs to him who can conquer it. The man who has acquired the power of keeping his mind filled with the thoughts which strengthen and encourage has solved one of the great riddles of life.
One of the most unfortunate things that has come to us through what we call ‘higher civilization’ is the killing of faith.

Spread Love

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:29:00 +0000

Spread Love
The most gracious of emotions that man experiences is love – when you love, you can truly be your higher self. Love brings out the best in others.
Points to be considered:
- Love universally meaning love everyone without any discrimination or set notions.
- Love is unconditional acceptance rather than changing people.
- Fill yourself with love and project that love to all, universally.
- Talk to everyone affectionately and forgive their mistakes.
Just look at a mother who loves her child, or a lover who longs for his beloved. If you’ve experienced love, you’ll know how pure this emotion makes you. The feeling is that of flawlessness and invincibility. It is bliss and joy – the power of love.
Conclusion:
Love is not something that can be taught – but yes, it is possible to experience it. Nowadays it has become a commercial deal – if you do this I’ll love u and if you do that I will not! It’s subject to conditions – and is more of a power struggle.

Sound sleep: the reason of joy

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:25:00 +0000

When we are awake then both our body and mind are active. During sleep, the activities of both body and mind are very much slowed down to the extent that they look inactive. But sleep is not simple. It made difficult due to dreams. There are dreams before we enter into the sound sleep.
Scientists said that there are dreams even after the sound sleep is over. That means that there are dreams before we enter in to the deep sleep and after it gets over, means before we are fully awake.
Some times we remember dreams and sometimes we do not. But dreams are always there.
So we can say that during the night we go through two kinds of sleep- one with dreams and another without dreams. Indeed that is true. When we dream then the mind is active. When we are in deep sleep then mind is tacking rest; it’s quite inactive.
So now we can say that there are three states, we are awake when both mind and body are active. We dream when the body is inactive but mind is active. The third state is that of the sound sleep when both mind and body are inactive.
That’s why the sleep with too many dreams is not as refreshing as the sound sleep is. But sometimes dreams are so sweet.
It seems that the dreams can be nice and bad too.
When we are awake then too the life can be good and bad. Sometimes we enjoy every moment. Sometimes the things can be painful.
It is same in the dreams. Dreams too have the mix of joy & pain. Actually, the mind too requires rest like the body does. It is important that we have sound sleep in the night so that both body and mind can become refreshing.
We must live in harmony with nature. The day is to work and the night is to sleep. Let’s not play with nature and harm our self.

Smile

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:28:00 +0000

Smile
One smile and everyone around you knows that you’re happy. Deep within, you feel that things are right and feel the joy. When you are happy, you smile and when you are sad, you frown. It has been that way always, with the emotional changes in your mind, your body responds. However, it works both ways meaning not only does action follow emotion but emotions follow action too.
Points to be considered:- If you act happy, you feel happy.
- If you act depressed, you’ll feel depressed.
- If you act peaceful when you’re angry, the anger will definitely calm down.
- Smile when you’re not happy – you’ll realize that soon you being to feel the joy within you.
Try this:
Hang down low with a very sad expression on your face and frown for something. Soon you’ll feel the emotions creep in too. Now try this, act like you’re happy – you’ll soon realize that you are feeling happy too.
Conclusion:The best thing is to smile when you’re facing a problem – that’s being really brave. Spread the SMILE VIRUS!! Because everybody needs the smile.

How to Improve Your Personal Life with Exercise and More

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:36:00 +0000

Life can be difficult and full of worries, and when you’re not taking good care of yourself, things can become quite demanding. Without a proper diet and exercise, along with proper sleep, you could find yourself run down extremely fast. This caused unwanted stress and anxieties in our everyday living. A major part of improving your personal life revolves around elements that can keep you from going off the deep end.

Get exercise with a proper diet
Getting the right exercise for your body does not consist of trying out for a marathon. Nevertheless, if you want to stay in shape and maybe lose a few pounds, here’s the perfect way to start.
Walk for 30 minutes twice a day with a backpack containing up to five books. Instead of having an extra alcoholic beverage, eliminate it, replacing it with water. Substitute daily one serving of starchy carbohydrate with two servings of green vegetables.
Rather than skipping breakfast and lunch and overeating on snacks, try snacking consisting of five small meals daily. Make sure you incorporate that with fruits and vegetables. The key is to watch what you eat and drink. You are guaranteed to feeling better; giving yourself more energy that will allow you to tackle other tasks. Stress will be coped with much easier. Another way for stress is massage therapy.

The Benefits of Massage TherapyMassage
therapy offers many benefits. It helps to start your day relaxed, which is essential for balance. A simple practice would be starting at your head and scalp. What people fail to realize is that until they have massage they do no know how much stress they are carrying. Once you have an awareness of where stress is lodged in your body, you’ll know exactly which pressure points to work. This is what massage therapy can do for you:
Relief of muscle tension and stiffness
Greater joint flexibility and range in motion
Healthier and nourished skinImproved posture
Faster healing from pulled muscles

Getting enough sleep
It is a proven fact that when you do not get enough sleep, this can make you ill. There are even studies that says healing is done while we are sleeping, meaning deep sleep produces the bodies highest form of hormones. A constant sleep pattern is necessary for the immune system to function at its peak. Have a regularly scheduled bedtime. Avoid exercising within three hours before bedtime. If you have problems winding down, do something relaxing like watching television, taking a bath, or listening to soft music.
It doesn’t take money to improve our lives or even watching or favorite talk shows. All it takes is a little discipline and action, and we’ll be well on our way to better our personal well-being as we age.
Proper rest, exercise and training your mind to think positive are a great way to improve your life. The best thing you can do is getting started now. Prolonging good health only sends you back to the same patterns. If you want to improve your personal life, you must take action and maintain that action for the course of your life.

Something to keep in mind is that exercise alone has proven to relieve people suffering with asthma, diabetes, heart disease, etc. In fact, studies have shown that people who exercise live a longer, improved and happier life. In fact, exercise has proven to relieve and even heal symptoms emerging from arthritis. If you have back pain, you will benefit from exercise since it will relieve your pain as well. To learn more, check out books at your library or visit the Internet.

Seek Out One New Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:27:00 +0000

Seek Out One New Experience
The basic conditioning of the mind is such that it is hell-bent on seeking familiarity. That which is familiar and known naturally appears to be more captivating to the onlooker. Millions of dollars are spent in advertising every year – only to increase your familiarity with the product. However, if you look at life, you will discover a fascinating truth. Whenever you’ve learnt something, it has been from something new, something untried. When we took our first step as babies, we were full of uncertainty – but gradually we soon learned to walk expertly.
Points to be considered:
- Your life can be judged by the new experiences that you’ve had.
- Your mind will resist the idea of the new – and want to go back to the familiar things. All you have to do is try something that’s new.
- There is a principle called Action Now. There are times in life when you’re faced with a difficult choice with regard to the course of action you must take.
- Your initial response will be to delay the action and stay immobilized. However remember the first world – Action which means that you need to act. But the simple choice of it’s delayed. Action must happen now/immediately.
- Your new experience for the day can be anything from eating something you’ve never tasted before or a place you’ve never been to or you may meet and talk to someone new. You can even try mastering a new skill.
Conclusion:
Life is a wonderful gift but different experiences are what ultimately constitute life. You go through different experiences, which ultimately get framed in your mind as beautiful memories. So it’s not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years. Ironically, in spite of knowing that life grows in the moments that are new and unknown, most of us are afraid to try out the new – be it meeting new people or doing new things. So lets emerge from our cocoons and become butterflies that flutter around!

Great thoughts from great Souls…

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:13:00 +0000

Great thoughts from great Souls…
"First, be a man; if you do not success in that you can succeed in nothing."
-James A. Garfield.
"One need to be slow to form convictions, but once formed they must be defended against the heaviest odds."
-Mahatma Gandhi.
"Character, not brain, will count at the crucial moments."
-Rabindranath Tagore.
"Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatest trust upon them."
-William Shakespeare.
"People generally quarrel because they cannot argue."
-G. K. Chesterton.
"What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience?"
-Adam Smith.
"Generally the theories we believe we call them facts, and the facts we disbelieve we call them theories."
-Felix Cohen.
"Millions said the apple fell, but Newton was the one to ask why."
-Bernard M. Baruch.
"The powers of mind are like the rays of the sun dissipated. When they are concentrated, they illumine."
-Swami Vivekananda.
"The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress."
-Joseph Joubert.
"Civilization like empire, fall, not so much because of the strength of the enemy outside as through the weakness and decay within."
-Jawaharlal Nehru.
"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Ideas have endurance without death."
-John F. Kennedy.
"Yesterday is a cancelled cheque; tomorrow is promissory note; today is only cash you have- so spend it wisely."
-Key Lyons.
"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."
-Rabindranath Tagore.
"Success is that old ABC – ability, breaks and courage."
-Charles Luckman.
"To get profit without risk, experience without danger, and reward without hard work, is as impossible as it is to live without being born."
-A. P. Gouthey.
"The real test of power is not capacity of make war but capacity to prevent it."
-AnneOHare McCormick.
"If you would not to be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing."
-Benjamin Franklin.
"Advice is seldom welcome; and those who need it most, always like it the least."
-Chesterfield.
"Action may not bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action."
-Benjamin Disraeli.
"When you change your behavior, you change your performance and you change your life."
-Anon.
"If you give what you do not need, it is not charity."
-Mother Teresa.
"That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful."
-Ninon De L’englos.
"True beauty consists in purity of heart."
-Mahatma Gandhi.
"There’s only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it."
-Proverb.

Prayer For Someone Else

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:26:00 +0000

Prayer For Someone Else
‘Prayer is a way to ask God and you make an unselfish prayer since you make it for someone else.’Your hotline with your creator is a prayer! We are taught to pray since childhood. However most of us have forgotten the prayers of gratitude that we had mugged in our childhood years. A typical prayer nowadays is more of asking and less of thanking. One such prayer: “God please give me patience and make it fast!!” God has become just a provider and a complaint box.
Points to be considered:
- Everyone prays for himself or herself which is not a big deal. - There is nothing wrong in asking from God. All that you ask for with a pure heart will be given to you in abundance.
- It has been observed that when someone else prays for you, it comes to pass much faster than what it would normally take, this is the magic of prayer for someone else.
- You might ask who do I pray for. Look around and you’ll find the answer.
Look at this example:
There are millions around the world who are starved, deprived, unclothed who don’t even know they must pray. A small proposal from you will surely help! The best form of prayer is the one that comes from instinct and is beyond words. You’ll watch the effects as you get more and more in prayer. This way we add value to the lives of others and that’s what living ultimately is all about.

The love of excellence

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 06:35:00 +0000

The love of excellence

I observed some peoples do not do their best because the employer does not pay much, but this is not reason to do poor work.
Human is born with great sacred responsibility to give his best in his life to the world. The quality which you implement in to your work will determine the quality of your life. A botched job shows a botched ideal, a low ambition. A finally wrought piece of work is an indication of a superior mentality.
It is pitiable to see multitudes of peoples weakly desire for success, but not willing to pay the price for the big things they desire. But it is impossible to achieve the success without your resolute will, firm determination to be successful in whatever you undertake. Willpower carry you upstream, no matter how strong the current.
Put your trademark upon everything you lay a hand on. Everything you do should stand for superiority, for excellence. Efficiency never has to go begging for improvements; the man that masters his skill goes to the front.
Suppose this example, a young lady working for newspaper once said she did not put in her best efforts because her company “did not pay much”. Small pay is no excuse for doing poor work. Payment which one receives should have nothing with the quality of his work. Quality of person’s work shows the quality of person. The work should be a matter of sense of right and wrong. It is question of your character not the question of your income. A person has no write to do poor work and demoralize his character by doing poor work because it doesn’t pay much.
It is not the question of cheating the employer, you cheat yourself when you do poor work. The employer is not injured half as much as you are by careless work. It may be loss of a few bucks to him, to you it is loss of character and self-respect.
There is no pleasure like that which comes from doing your level best, no satisfaction like that which comes from stamping superiority, putting the royal trademark of excellence, quality upon anything which goes through our hands.
And now prepare to do your best in all things which you undertake and show the world superiority of your personality.

The value of friendship

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:20:00 +0000

The value of friendship

Hi, how are you? this article 'The Value of Friendship'. I will be
grateful if you send me reply about this article.

No one is quite the same again who has been touched by a noble
friendship. “Our chief want in life”, says Emerson, “is somebody who
shall make us do what we can. This is the service of a true friend.”

Friendship is no one-sided affair, but an exchange of soul qualities.
There can be no friendship without reciprocity. “If you want a friend,
be a friend”.
“Friends are each other’s mirrors, and should be clearer than the
mountain springs and free from design or flattery”.

Those who make friends must cultivate the qualities which are
admired and which attract. They must cultivate generosity and large-
heartedness – must be magnanimous and tolerant.

Friendship has a great value which cannot be overlooked, someone has given the definition of the word ‘friend’ thus: “The first person who comes in when the whole world has gone out”. To choose our friends with an eye to their commercial value to us would be to proclaim ourselves unworthy of the friendship of any noble soul, and indeed incapable of winning any friendships worthy of the same. It is in relation to their effect on character that the value of friends must be estimated.

The major part of your success and happiness depend largely on the
qualities of your friends. Those who help to build up our self-
confidence are our greatest well-wishers.

Thanks! I am waiting for your reply. Have a good day. ^_^

Positive mental attitude-pays more always

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 05:25:00 +0000

Positive mental attitude-pays more always
“The mantra for true positive thinking is hope for the best and prepare for the worst”
Positive thinkers expect positive things to happen. However, they know that these things could go wrong but because they focus on the positive, they handle such situation much better. They have the right mental attitude to tackle problems rather than crib about them.
Points to be considered:
- Thinking positively is not an insurance against things going wrong hence you could fail despite thinking positive.
- When you fail, instead of feeling defeated, simply ask yourself,” what can I learn from this?”
Ex: one of the boys whose father fell seriously ill was totally shattered since cancer was detected. “Life is so unfair!” he said. He lost his father within two months. This event was the most painful one in his life. When he thought positively, initially skeptical but eventually he realized that the illness had made him come closer to his family. He began to take care of his mother more. The boy learned to value people when they are alive. And also he began to donate to the Cancer Aid Association. So many positive changes!
Conclusion:For the positive thinker, there are no failures – only learning experiences. This is a great way to become a winner forever.

Mental exercises

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:24:00 +0000

Mental exercises
Your mind has infinite power but it needs exercise. It can be exercised in different ways for each of its faculties thus making that particular faculty more effective. Intelligence may be genetic but it can be developed too. Research has shown that learning has a far greater impact on it than genetics can ever have.
Mental exercises:
Your mind has infinite power but it needs exercise. It can be exercised in different ways for each of its faculties thus making that particular faculty more effective. Intelligence may be genetic but it can be developed too. Research has shown that learning has a far greater impact on it than genetics can ever have.
Points to be considered:
- Your mind and body are inseparable as described in quantum physics “the body is nothing but a manifestation of thoughts”.
- A lot of diseases may be traced to your mind – specially the thoughts that you think will decide and have their reactions on your body.
- Just like the body which needs regular exercise, so does the mind. The straight forward rule that applies here is – use it or lose it.
- Practice some mental exercises like crossword puzzle, Reading, Resolving a problem, Mathematics, Riddles, and Anagrams etc.
Sometimes at the time of mental exercises a person tried them and was overwhelmed and gave up saying he was mentally exhausted. Physical training produce acids and toxins thus making you tried as it is a bodily process. However, there are no such secretions during mental exercise which means that getting mentally tried is only a delusion! It’s all in the mind!
Ex: when sunlight is focused at one place with a convex glass, its consequence is a fire! That’s the power of concentration which you can tap by exercising your mind.
Conclusion:
Anything that challenges your cerebral muscles also builds them up. Your mental exercises need to be as you teach your mind, you’ll be able to solve problems more easily. Even your level of common sense will increase and so will your ability to remember things. All these skills are more acquired than genetic. Your brain is very supple. It depends on how much you stretch it.

Believe in yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:28:00 +0000

Believe in yourself
We should judge by what we feel capable of doing, not by what we have done. Believe in your own inborn greatness, your god-like possibilities. This will enrich your life. The constant struggle to measure upto a high ideal can make a life great.
“We all live below our maximum of accomplishment.” -William James.Mans development depends on his ideal of himself. Our mental attitude fixes the limit of our development. So long as we are convinced that we are helpless victims of circumstances and environment, we will not amount to much. It doesn’t matter so much what others think of you; it is what you think of yourself that counts.
Everyone who has ever made his mark on the world, who has done things worthwhile, has found his resources in himself. We do our greatest work striving to make a place for ourselves in the world.
It believes in the man who believes in himself. He who would succeed today must not only be brave, but must also dare to take chances. He who waits for certainty never wins. Some men seem born to conquer. These natural victors have great self-confidence, they are optimistic; they never doubt or hesitate; they feel they can do the things they undertake, and do them well. They are the people who accomplished great things. The creator never made a man for failure. We are success-organized; abundance and affluence are parts of man’s inheritance.
Just do your level best and leave the rest to God. There is tremendous creative power in the confidence that we can do a thing. Believe in yourself.

Live In The Present

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:23:00 +0000

Live In The Present
Life is a journey when your destination is unsure. So why wait for the destination that is unknown, and leave our joy to it? Let us enjoy the present which is the journey of life itself. The mind is a machine programmed to act up. This happens most of the time, as our mind is not in our control.
Points to be considered:
- The mind has a monkey like tendency to swing to either the future or the past without any rhyme or reason, at the very first opportunity and this flow of thoughts is out of our control. - We need to train our mind to be paying attention. Meditation helps a lot however, if we completely focus on doing the job of the present moment, every task is a meditation in itself.
- Participate in any activity with total concentration and you will see that the quality of work shows a marked improvement and is more satisfying.
- Every chore then becomes a meditation. Another important aspect of this law is the matching of your thoughts and action.
- Once you have decided to do something, apply yourself to it fully. Leave no stone unturned to achieve it. This is not only for the extraordinary tasks in your life but also for every small thing, like preparing tea, or playing a game.
- Your mind moves into the past or the future most of the times. Past is nothing but a track of memories or events that have happened to you. Your past exists nowhere except in your mind.
- The future is nothing but anticipating based on your past experiences. It is something that has not actually happened – it is an expectation. Your mind loves these two and hates to be in the present. And that is exactly your challenge. Of course, you need to learn from your past. Similarly, you must plan the future – an unplanted future will never yield the result that we expect. However, most of us don’t stop at that.
Conclusion:
Too much of dwelling on the past results in remorse and too much of future orientation is a source of concern. Both of these are extremely dangerous, for they will surely obstruct your view of the present. The best strategy to avoid them is to stay centered in the present. This will come with long and constant practice. The mind should be gently brought to the present. The moment you are aware of your mind that’s diverted, gently bring it back to the present. In this way, you will be able to slowly but surely but surely stay in the present.

Listen More Than You Speak

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 05:22:00 +0000

Listen More Than You Speak
A good listener is not all about just talking less. Listening is something that has to be learnt. Since even if you don’t talk more and listen, people will still open up more to some people. The reason being that your body language betrays you if you’re not interested in listening fully, it will send clues that the other person will pick up. When you listen you have to be very quick to respond. So give all your attention to the other person.
Points to be considered:
- Everybody wants to be heard. More than a helping hand or a piece of mind, what people do need is an attentive ear which listens to their problems, worries and all they have to say.
- You have to become a listener. God has given us many clues when he made this body. We have two ears and one mouth to listen twice about what we speak.
- Most of us are so interested in ourselves hence go on talking about ourselves all the time. But this is perfectly normal thing, its human nature.
- A really miraculous change comes when you being to put others first. When you start to do that, people will react to you very well – it’s just like treating others as you’d like to be treated.
- People need to be heard – and you can give them that by being a listener. Being a great conversationalist is all about being a great listener. Always listen more than speak.
- There are a few very irritating things you can do to spoil a conversation – one of them being to complete sentence for others. It becomes a guessing game between the two – as a result the communication becomes a competition!
- Another wrong thing is to interrupt when something exciting is going on. Interrupting a person is a surest way to spoil the communication.
- This is not easy, especially if this is a habit but with practice and conscious effort, it is not impossible.
Conclusion:
Listening effectively starts with a purpose to get the state of the mind of the talker – it is your goal to grasp fully what the other person is trying to say. Response is equally important – it involves communicating through verbal/non-verbal clues that you are getting the message. Spend time listening. It is a beautiful way to get a lot of information from others. And remember, to have been a great listener too…